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3.21.03

The whole month of March seems to be filled for the Yosemite Institute by Cupertino School District. This past week I spent with Hyde Middle School from Cupertino.

Towards the beginning of the week, the students really didn't talk much at all. Sort of like the Livingston group. But this was mostly in part because they all had been separated from their friends.

Although they were really quiet in the beginning, each day they seemed to open up a little more and by Wednesday or Thursday they seemed to all be getting along great, like they'd been friends all along.

For the first three days of their stay, they stayed at Curry Village in the Valley. We went to Lower Yosemite Falls and did the "syder caves." They started to go well, but then some people kind of stopped talking to one and other, which is not good, because it's pitch black in the caves and nobody knows were they're going.

We also went to a beautiful overlook of Bridalveil Falls and down to El Capitan Meadow where we did some educational activities and games. Then we went on our challenge hike to "Oh My Gosh Rock." They really seemed to like that.

Thursday morning we met the students at the other Yosemite Institute Camp at "Crane Flat" where the students would be spending their last two days. This was exciting for me, because every group that I've been with has always stayed in the Valley, so this was new for me.

There was lots of snow and so we went cross-country skiing (with and without poles), a first for me, butfun nonetheless. And of course what would a day with snow be without a huge snowball fight. So, we gathered up with two other groups and attacked each other. Good Stuff!!

Friday was "Giant Sequoia" day and we went to the giant sequoia grove. The students saw lots of sequoias and were able to clean some of the graffiti off of a huge fallen sequoia. But what would the day have been if the students hadn't have been given the opportunity to get a little muddy by crawling through the center of the fallen sequoia. Then of course another snowball fight came about on the way back to crane flat.

We had our closing, thank you all for the gifts, that was very sweet. Thanks. Then the students boarded the buses to head home… Another good week.